Trying to figure what PoE2 sold less

[xzar_monty]

I would think that being vindicated like this is excellent in the long run, but surely the first year or so after launch must have been a harrowing disappointment -- and even more so because the developers must have known the game itself was wonderful.

[Elric Galad]

This would hint toward my pet theory.

A big part of 3D Isometric RTwP CRPG crowd is people in their 30ies+.
And we simply don't have that much time to play all of games.

There was a good number of 3D Isometric CRPG when PoE2 was released, while PoE1 was the first.

 

Even I have just bought and finished Tyranny and Disco Elysium even if basically planned to buy them for years. I bought PoE2 semothing like 6 months after release. 

But I eventually bought all of them  

[kronozord]

On 10/4/2022 at 10:19 AM, Bosmer said:

If Josh wants to do a PoE3 we could expect development starting pretty soon, since Pentiment is about to release. However, if Josh doesn't yet feel like working on a deep RPG maybe someone in the current team of Avowed could pick this up. In that case, we would have to wait at least 2-3 years for development on PoE3 to start. In any case, I don't think it's impossible that we'll see our highly anticipated PoE3 one day

If Avowed is a success there is no reason for MS to spend resources in a POE3 instead of a Avowed2 if its not a success well the result is the same!

I think the most probable way for a POE3 to exist is for Baldurs Gate 3 (aka DOS3 with DnD ) to be a success and microsoft see market value in crpgs.

[Palatinus]

Rather than POE3, after the great success of BG3 (which is essentially DOS2 with D&D 5th edition rules applied at 60/70%), it would be better a Neverwinter Nights 3 fully 3D (unlike POE1-2) like (and better) than BG3, and turn based (or better yet with TB and RTWP like Pathfinder) , with DM toolset (which BG3 hasn't) and planned DLC /expansion (about with Larian is doubtful) and a future NWN:MMORPG based on D&D world (all settings have been yet written by WOTC, you must only build the 3D world and Microsoft would agree). 
 

[kanisatha]

On 8/12/2023 at 9:08 AM, Palatinus said:

Rather than POE3, after the great success of BG3 (which is essentially DOS2 with D&D 5th edition rules applied at 60/70%), it would be better a Neverwinter Nights 3 fully 3D (unlike POE1-2) like (and better) than BG3, and turn based (or better yet with TB and RTWP like Pathfinder) , with DM toolset (which BG3 hasn't) and planned DLC /expansion (about with Larian is doubtful) and a future NWN:MMORPG based on D&D world (all settings have been yet written by WOTC, you must only build the 3D world and Microsoft would agree).

No thanks. I don't want anything resembling BG3, and nothing to do with WotC. Obsidian's model for making good games is just fine, except for the recent 'first-person-only' thing they're doing.

[xzar_monty]

On 8/13/2023 at 4:28 PM, kanisatha said:

No thanks. I don't want anything resembling BG3, and nothing to do with WotC. Obsidian's model for making good games is just fine, except for the recent 'first-person-only' thing they're doing.

Also, and this is a matter of taste, I find "fully 3D" to just completely suck in games like this. I mean, Deadfire looks gorgeous but NWN and NWN2 are just poor. Yes, I know they're old, but 3D graphics get extremely repetitive in a hurry, and after that there's nothing to them at all. Also, the 3D viewpoint completely destroys the sense of controlling a group of charcaters, for me.

[Elric Galad]

Someone clever apparently gave Josh Sawyer a (justified) bonus to help him overcome his Deadfire trauma.

"Say it with an engraved watch"

 

[Boeroer]

That someone was Feargus.

[daven]

4 hours ago, Boeroer said:

That someone was Feargus.

Wonder if he gave him back his sanity for forcing ship battles and VO.

[Theory]

Originally I found pirate theme very childish (maybe some nostalgic to sidmeier's pirates but not enough) and didn't want to buy deadfire. And another reason was that I hadn't completed PoE which I tried dozen times to do blindly Triple Crown (best was act 3). It was like artsy movie or very intelligent book which I would love to be keen on but it wasn't. It didn't hook me.

Currently I just ****ed my trial of iron + veteran upscaled to last boss in deadfire and still continuing but this time with doing dlc's too (just finished bow and sss). I love the game and even pirate theme feels really well done and it has surpassed thoroughly my expectations but I didn't know that back then when I made purchase or not decision.

I'm playing thru gamepass.

[Sven_]

It's been six years last week, by the way.

A couple of ados:

- The carribean theme being a possible factor in underperformance is depressing as hell. I mean, this is the only genre left standing where announcing a product set in the zombie postapocalypse or during WWII would be seen as a risk. Says it all, really. Even if you're barely getting sick of elves&dwarves: Everybody is getting tired of their favourite meal when that is served 24/7. Unless they're a weirdo. In which case: great genre. Bad target audience.

- Currently playing The Outer Worlds. And whilst that also was a semi-budgeted affair, it is remarkable how much more it relies on cheap tricks to stretch its playing time. Currently exploring Monarch, and that almost feels like Owlcat Games. You know: Having spaces and then bombarding them with paste&copy mobs for you to mow down over and over and over again.

I know that Josh took the criticism as to PoE1 to heart and made his designers encourage to actually think of a REASON when putting combat into their design. Like: "Okay, why do you put those enemies there?" "They are meant to introduce the fauna of this place." But still remarkable.

Mind you, these games are and always will be murder hobo sims. But killing less than 1,000 enemies over a 40-50 hours campaign is still pretty low end for this type. That's ~20 kills per hour on average.  If Owlcat Games would have stats like these, there would be an integer error and the counter would re-start at zero at some point.  



Also, whilst the main quest is a bit conflicted/meh, Deadfire to me firlmy remains the most polished of all the major crowdfunded RPGs. At release, it was much too easy, admittedly. But that's been overhauled. It also remains the only one I've completed I think thrice. One time immediately after having finished it, just to try something out. As the main quest isn't a LOTR kind of epic done on a budget (and neither stretched to be such, see second point/paragraph), that is actually viable to do.

 

Deadfire is also one I'll be getting back to the in the future. And that precisely because of its setting and atmosphere. The moment where you are finished with your starting island and get your first ship to set off to adventure land -- that's the one making the game to me. It's like Monkey Island -- except in an RPG. Dwarves&elves my ass! I can get them from 9.99 out of 10 RPGs anyway.  

Deadfire indeed was good.


 

Edited Monday at 06:48 AM by Sven_